Image: BC Highway Patrol / BC Highway Patrol members are pictured. Despite a face-to-face meeting with Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth by three Chilliwack city council members on Monday, there has not been any concrete change to a plan by the BC Highway Patrol to have the Hope RCMP and Chilliwack RCMP start responding to collisions and incidents on Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon, the Coquihalla Highway, and Crowsnest Highway (Hwy. 3).

By Mike Vanden Bosch

No resolution on Highway Patrol shift

No resolution on Highway Patrol duty shift to Chilliwack, Hope RCMP

Jul 18, 2023 | 2:12 PM

CHILLIWACK — Despite a face-to-face meeting with the BC public safety minister on Monday involving Mayor Ken Popove and two city councillors, there haven’t been changes to a service model update that would force Hope RCMP and Chilliwack RCMP to begin responding to incidents and collisions on the Coquihalla starting in September.

At issue is a decision by the provincial government to download the South Coast Highway Patrol’s service model onto municipalities like Chilliwack. The plan, set to take effect on September 1, 2023, would require Hope RCMP and Chilliwack RCMP to begin responding to vehicle accidents and other incidents on the Coquihalla, Highway 1, and Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway).

Chilliwack Councillor Jason Lum reported Monday afternoon that he and fellow Councillor Bud Mercer joined Mayor Popove in meeting with Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.

“Our meeting with went well,” Councillor Lum said in a text message to Fraser Valley Today Monday afternoon. “I believe the Minister is aware of our concerns with the lack of meaningful consultation with local government. We are cautiously optimistic, and await further clarification from the Ministry.”

The RCMP is already short on personnel by approximately 25 per cent, according to a May 2023 letter from Popove addressed to Farnworth. This pronounced personnel shortage has also been referenced in public meetings by Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment Superintendent Davy Lee, as well as former RCMP member and Chilliwack Councillor Bud Mercer.

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Asking Hope and Chilliwack RCMP members to respond outside of its service area could lead to longer wait times for service within Chilliwack and surrounding communities like Hope, Agassiz and Boston Bar.

Mayor Popove was quite pointed in his statement released last week, slamming the provincial government for allowing the plan to move forward.

“This change is an outright downloading of responsibilities to municipalities, who do not have the capacity to take on what is rightly provincial jurisdiction,” Popove said. “Adding responses to highway calls for service will exacerbate existing challenges and cause additional safety concerns in many communities. Chilliwack is part of a regional detachment, which means police resources from Chilliwack may be required leave the city to assist members in other communities, as far away as Hope and Boston Bar.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

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No resolution on Highway Patrol duty shift to Chilliwack, Hope RCMP

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